Brave New World
by LordFrieza
Summary: Based on the STAS episode Brave New Metropolis and also the second part of my Story Wraiths. Overman/Clark finds himself in the Justice Lord's universe after leaving his universe for a chance to redemption. Once there he learns of how this alternate universe's Clark Kent had went even further than he did. Deciding to take a chance and redeem himself he sets out to discover him
1. Chapter 1

_**(AN: First let me say I don't own Superman, Superman the Animated Series, Overman, or any of the Justice League heroes or villains used in this story. That pleasure belongs to DC comics and of course the estates of those original creators. Second… This is the official second part to my Story Wraiths. I felt that it would be better to combine Wraiths and this story together than it would be to simply build yet another Justice League's universe. That said I hope that everyone enjoys the story and please any suggestions, ideas, or criticisms are welcomed.)**_

_**Brave New World **_

_**Chapter 1 'Rebuild'**_

(Alternate Earth - Metropolis - March 17th 2008)

The sun peeks over the horizon, and once again a man who had once been a god among men looks down at the world below him. Even though he lost the trust of the world, of his friends, and of those he had occasionally worked with he still looked at the world as something that needed protecting. His blue eyes sparkled lightly as the memory of the woman he loved flashed through his mind. Seeing her again, even if it wasn't 'his' Lois had made the difference. No one else had been able to touch him in the way she had. Shortly after she had left his world, again, he realized how much he had bastardized the world that his Lois loved. He floated down toward Metropolis and landed on top of the Daily Planet. He didn't know if his counterpart had made the mistake of confessing his hidden identity. He realized the mistake of that now. He had to remain Superman. He couldn't try to blend in as he really was. There was no way of becoming Clark Kent again. He wanted to. He wanted to be Clark Kent. He was Clark Kent. The world knew him as Superman, but Superman was an act, a fake. He heard the soft landing of feet behind him and breathed out an even breath.

"Hello Bruce," he said as he turned around.

"Clark. You've missed your psych evaluation," Bruce said straight to the point.

"I'm not the same person I was Bruce. I'm not 'Overman' anymore. I haven't been since..." He began and felt a hand on his shoulder.

"You haven't been since you got to see her. The moment you saw Lois it changed, and believe me i understand, but the evaluations aren't just to ensure that you're still on this path. It's part of what will eventually get the world to trust you," Bruce said.

"Maybe I don't want their trust. Maybe I just want to be Clark Kent... Not the reporter, but the farm boy," Clark stated.

"Then go and be him, but it won't end. Everyone knows who you are. Luthor talked you into..." Bruce didn't finish before Clark whirled around and glared at him.

"They know since Luthor managed to talk me into releasing my secret identity right? I already know that! Damnit I know!" Clark exclaimed.

He sighed and looked toward the heavens.

"I wonder if there is a world where Superman doesn't exist or died... I wonder if I could step into his shoes and live my life there," Clark said sadly.

"It's a possibility," Bruce said before he stepped back.

"Can it be done?" Clark asked before Bruce began to take off.

"Is that how you want to fix this problem? You want to run from it?" Bruce asked.

"It's not running. I almost destroyed this world because I lost Lois. I let Luthor tell me half-truths and I believed him. Once I let go of the reigns the world began to straighten out. Bruce, you, Wally, J'onn, Diana, Shayera, and John have managed to keep the world safer without me interfering. The only time I helped was when those aliens tried to invade. Diana has strength close to my own and so does Kara. You really didn't need me. You still don't need me," Clark said.

"Just because Wonder Woman, Supergirl, and J'onn have some of your abilities doesn't mean you can give up your responsibilities," Bruce said.

"I already have. Just tell me if it's really possible, please," He begged.

"Yes, it is. I looked into the data from when the other Lois appeared. I've worked with it and I found that it's not only possible; it's almost too easy to do. All that is needed is the proper frequency and opening a gateway can be done. Has for your other question... There is a world where Superman doesn't exist anymore, but it's far from perfect," Bruce said.

"I just need a chance," Clark said.

"Meet us in the founders' hall tonight," Bruce said before he disappeared.

(Metrotower - Metropolis)

Clark walked into the founders' hall and looked to see several faces which still distrusted him. Granted the only ones who had stood against him when he worked with Luthor was Bruce, John, Shayera, and Wally, but both J'onn and Diana had learned of what he had done. They had learned how he had nearly brought the entire world under a strict dictatorship. Diana had tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, but she didn't simply trust him. She measured him on every action, and that measurement had often been aimed far too high. He needed to leave. He needed to find a world where he could start fresh. The entire room seemed focused on him and he swallowed back any hesitation he felt.

"We've went over your request, and because of the current state of your psych evaluations, your performance, and actions we find no reason not to grant your request; however, there are some of us who feel that you could and would be of benefit right here," Bruce's voice stated.

"I can't stay here. The world is never going to trust me. My presence hurts any good the league could ever hope to do, and there is nothing, nothing that I can ever do to remove the black spot I caused. The only thing that can be done is for me to disappear, but I don't just want to leave. I want to start fresh on an Earth that has lost Superman. I want to make a difference again," Clark stated.

"The Earth Batman has found is devoid of a Superman. The entire Justice League there seems to be decimated and there is only a handful of the league that remains," J'onn replied.

"Do we have contact with that Universe?" Clark asked.

"The other Batman and I have spoken. He's not going to trust you, but he is willing to allow you to help. It's the best option you are likely to find," Bruce answered.

"Are you sure you will not reconsider? The people may come to accept you, and trust you eventually," Diana stated.

"It's not likely. You didn't see what he did to the world. You didn't witness the camps, see people being lobotomized because they spoke out against Luthor or Superman, and you didn't see families being slaughtered because they sheltered someone from the resistance. No one is ever going to trust him Diana. No is going to trust him because no one will ever forget," Shayera said with a sense of acidity.

The way Shayera had said it hurt. Naturally it should hurt after all. He had done all of what she said, and what he didn't do he allowed. He believed it was in the best interest of the people to be kept under the heel of the new government he and Luthor had set up. Shayera had personally suffered the camps. her wings had been painfully clamped together inside of the camps and a dog's shock collar had been placed on her when she disobeyed. She had been humiliated, tortured, and treated as though she was subhuman. Not once had she hid the fact that she hated him, and it often seemed that she went out of her way to prove that he was not only not wanted, but that he was going to resort back to being Overman again. Clark watched as John touched her hand and the angry Thanagarian looked toward her husband. The hate and anger in her eyes began to recede back as John studied her face for a moment.

"No matter what we think about Superman we need to keep what's good for the Earth and the people of the Earth. The best thing for everyone of Earth is to move on. I have to agree that it's been hard for anyone to move on. With that in mind I agree with the decision," John said as he looked at Clark.

"At one time you were my hero. I idolized you and I became a hero because of you. When you turned on the world and tried to take it over... I almost lost my faith. I mean it was a slap to the face to know that my idol had become something he fought against. If it wouldn't have been for Bats, GL, and Hawkgirl I don't know what would have happened to me. Instead I worked with them and with the resistance. I learned what it meant to be more than just a showboat. I'm all for second chances, but I think that your second chance is somewhere else," Wally said.

"I can't and I won't defend what I did, but I will promise that I will work toward making the world I'm sent to a better place," Clark stated.

"It is then accepted by the founders that you will be sent to this alternate Earth. Report to the teleportation room in thirty minutes," Bruce said before he stood.

(Outside of the founders' hall)

"It doesn't seem right to me. No one should simply be willing to leave the world behind because of past mistakes. They should attempt to make admins and the world should accept the change," Diana stated as she walked near Bruce.

"The world isn't the black and white Princess. Superman is the reason many of the people are still scared. People that were in the resistance are still afraid of coming forward because they fear his retaliation," Bruce replied.

"Do they not understand that he has changed?" Diana asked.

"Diana, according to what I've read about your homeland there was someone who did unspeakable things to your mother. I believe it was Heracles wasn't it?" Bruce asked.

"Yes... The vile son of Zeus raped my mother, my sisters, and did so for days. He took joy in their torment," she spat the words out as though they were poison.

"If Heracles came back claiming he had changed, and he did works to prove he had changed, would the amazons forgive him for his actions?" Bruce asked.

She shook her head and looked at the floor.

"I see. Superman's actions could be considered the same as the actions of Heracles. I thought of this before, but I refused to believe it. I refused because I have gotten to know him. He does not seem like someone who would do the terrible things I have heard he has done," she answered as she walked near the Dark Knight.

(Teleportation room - Thirty minutes later)

Bruce looked at the formula he had entered into the controls. The complex equation had been designed by himself and the other Batman after a great amount of time and stress. The both of them worked tirelessly on it knowing that it would teleport Clark one way to the other world. Bruce had stated to his other self that it would be the best idea to send Clark somewhere he would recognize and at the same time be in contact with Bruce directly. The decision came down to the Watchtower. The moment he materialized on the Watchtower the notification would hit the Batcave. From there it would be fairly simple for the Dark Knight to keep track of the Man of Steel.

"Goodluck Clark," Bruce said as he pressed the button to complete the teleportation. The sound of chirping birds filled the air and surrounded him for a moment before he simply disappeared completely.

(Watchtower - Justice Lords/Wraiths Universe)

The sound of the activation of the Teleporter activating startled John. He hadn't told Lois about the dark magic he attempted to take into himself. Of course the reaction was similar to getting completely shitfaced. He looked up to see a form starting to materialize before him. His eyes adjusted to the light as he watched the form of Superman take shape.

"Bloody hell!" John said as he fell backward.

(Batcave - Justice Lords/Wraiths Universe)

Bruce watched as the teleporters picked up the DNA of Kal-El. He wondered if this was really a good idea. It wasn't that he didn't want to give Clark another chance, but he had to worry anyway. This Clark had lost his Lois and it drove him to become a dictator. This universe Lois Lane was a vampire, one turned by Clark himself, and currently dating John Constantine of all people. Not only that she had a two year old son. The son of Clark's which was a final gift to her before he left her to die on the roof of their apartment. Still he wasn't blind to the need the world had. Kara was doing her part with the League, but even with the presence of Supergirl there was simply too much going on. Between the openings of the Dark Realm, Darkseid's attempted invasions, and the recent Kryptonian invasion there was a serious need for the Man of Steel.

Bruce stood and looked to see his wife and current goddess of Life and Truth. He knew that Diana would never be with Clark again. She had betrayed herself when she believed that he was what she wanted. Still he wouldn't be human if he didn't feel the slightest hint of jealously. He watched as Diana walked toward him and touched his shoulder. A calming feeling flooded through him and he felt her touch his very soul.

"He is not the same Kal my αγάπη. Besides even if he was the same I would not feel any attraction to him. I belong to you as you belong to me," she said before she leaned down and caught him in a kiss.

"I know this is going to be a mistake," Bruce said simply.

"It is no mistake to give someone a second chance. It may be a mistake to not inform Lois about it though," Diana said with a smile.

"I already know how she's going to respond to this," Bruce said with a smirk.

"Yes, she's going to be upset, and she will demand answers from you. I fear that Constantine may feel the same," Diana stated.

"I know, and that's the reason I'm heading up to the Watchtower right now. I've got to contain this," Bruce said as he walked toward the teleporter in the cave and soon disappeared.

(Teleporter room - Watchtower - Justice Lords/Wraiths Universe)

Clark stumbled back as he looked at Lois. She was dressed in a tight black outfit which seemed to show a generous amount of cleavage. Her dark hair seemed the same, but her skin was snow white and her eyes had become crimson red.

"What the hell is this?" Lois exclaimed as she looked at Clark.

"L... Lois?" Clark asked obviously confused.

A second later and the teleporter activated again this time producing Bruce.

"Everyone we're going to the meeting room right now," Bruce said as he started to walk past them.


	2. Wait What!

_**(AN: Don't own any characters except for those I've created. I also suggest that if you want the back story for some of the characters go and read Wraiths. Seriously go and read it. We'll wait.)**_

_**Brave New World **_

_**Chapter 2 'Wait… What?'**_

(Watchtower - Section Wraiths meeting room - twenty - five minutes after Clark's teleporation)

Clark felt relieved that he was sitting down. He had a feeling that if he hadn't of been he would have fell some time ago. The revelation that his alternate self here not only killed Luthor, but lead the Justice League into creating a Dictatorship worse than what he and Luthor had done on his own Earth was making him sick. Then he discovered that a vampire named Nocturna had given his alternate self the gift of being a vampire and he used it to attempt to enslave the world once again. He looked over at Lois who was still studying him in a suspicious manner. He understood her reasoning. After all not only was she placed under permanent house arrest, but she had been attacked, raped, and left for dead by another Kal-El. He wanted to comfort her, but right now a British... man was doing that.

"I don't understand... The Batman of my world told didn't tell me all of this had happened," Clark said sounding confused.

"No, and for good reason. You are needed here. There is a serious need for your abilities, and I think that I covered that with you already," Bruce replied.

"I understand about Darkseid, this 'Dark Realm', and a Kryptonian invasion, but... if the other Superman did so much then why even have me here? It makes no sense," Clark stated.

"Because the world needs a figure it can identify with," came a voice from the background. Tim walked out and looked at Clark before he took a seat. Like Lois he was pale, his eyes crimson red, and he wore a strange looking black suit as well.

"The Dark Realm is changing its tactics again. Instead of the normal Necromancer created portals the beings responsible are attempting to use something similar to the phantom zone," Tim said as he placed a folder in front of Bruce.

"What has Hellcat discovered?" Bruce asked.

"She's found out that Mala is the one leading the Kryptonian invasion. It seems that she and Jax-ur found a way into the Phantom Zone and in doing so they released several thousand criminally insane Kryptonians. These same Kryptonians have pledged their allegiance to Mala. I don't know what happened to Jax-ur but I doubt that it was pleasant," Tim said.

"That explains how there are so many. Why haven't they straight out attacked the Earth?" Bruce asked.

"Mala is gathering intelligence. It seems that she wants to find out if we've discovered their weakness, and how much Kryptonite there is," Tim replied.

"It's possible that she's made some kind of pact with the Dark Realm as well then," Bruce stated.

"If the portals they are using really are from the Phantom Zone then yes, yes it's very possible," Tim said as he looked over at Clark.

Clark listened to them for a second and thought back to his own Earth. He had faced Mala and Jax-ur before. They had attempted to enslave the Earth, and he had done all he could to stop them. If Mala had an entire army behind her now, and they all had his powers than it was going to be near impossible. He then thought about Darkseid. The new god obviously knew about this. Darkseid had said time and time before that he wanted him as a knight, but he would settle to use him as a pawn. If the Superman here was dead then Darkseid had to be interested in Mala and her army. An entire army of Kryptonians at his disposal. It would possibly be enough to get him whatever it was he had been after.

"Do you, either of you know where Mala's ships are?" Clark asked.

"We've done a long distance scan and found a few scout ships on the other side of Mars. It seems that she's staying far enough out not to be noticed," Bruce said.

"She's gathering up enough firepower to make Kryptonite no longer a worry. She was military and she knows about strategy. One of the things you've told me, or rather the other you told me was to take the greatest weapon your enemy had and make it useless. That's what she's doing. She knows about the Kryptonite and she must know that there is a fairly large supply between what you have and Luthor had. When she attacks she's going to do it similar to the storm troopers," Clark said.

"Radiation shielding. She'll cover all of her army with radiation shielding. It'll prevent them from soaking up any of the yellow sun radiation, but at the same time it will prevent the use of Kryptonite. On top of that any weapon she knows about is going to be more advanced than what our armies have," Bruce replied.

"What about the Green Lantern Corp? Couldn't we call on them for help?" Lois asked.

"It's doubtful. With John Stewart helping to overthrow the Earth they may find that sending any Green Lantern here would be too much of a risk. I can only guess that's why Kyle Rayner hasn't been back too many times. We have access to some Thanagarian weaponry, but I'm uncertain of how functional it is," Bruce said.

"What about Shayera? Couldn't we contact her?" Lois asked.

"Her and John and living a normal life. I doubt either of them are really going to want to step up and help," Tim said.

"Maybe you could contact the Hawkgirl from my Earth. She may be willing to help," Clark said.


	3. Kids

_**(AN: Don't own any characters except for those I've created. I also suggest that if you want the back story for some of the characters go and read Wraiths. Seriously go and read it. We'll wait.)**_

_**Brave New World **_

_**Chapter 3 'Kids'**_

Bruce looked at Shayera and listened to her directions on operating the various machines left over by the Thanagarians. Most of the weapons seemed to be plasma rifles, proximity mines, gravitational generators, and robotic sentries. The other weapons were close range weapons such as swords, maces, daggers, battle axes, and an entire assortment of melee weaponry. Shayera proceeded to tell him that the swords made of Nth metal would never dull and most (if they were for battle) would have been kept at an edge which could slice between atoms. Something that sharp could even cut through Clark's skin and that meant it could cut through any of the Kryptonians. He started to get off of the line before Shayera stopped him.

"Watch him Bruce. I... I know your other self here. We're good friends, and because of that I want you to watch him. Clark can't be trusted," Shayera said as she looked at Bruce's cowl covered face.

"No one trusts him," Bruce said simply.

Shayera nodded and closed the link.

Bruce stood and went over the weapons list. There was six scout ships, each with a small armory aboard, three hundred plasma rifles, thirty proximity mines for ships, two hundred proximity mines for infantry, fifty swords, thirty maces, two hundred daggers, and sixty bows each with a quiver of one hundred Nth metal tipped arrows. All of these weapons had been confiscated when the Thanagarian invasion took place on Earth. Of course it didn't really last too long. The Wraiths had managed to overpower most of the Thanagarians fairly easily, although not all of the invaders turned out to be enemies. Hellcat/Selina had been helped by one of the Thanagarians named Kalmoran. Kalmoran and Selina seemed to become inseparable and the two actually married after the invasion ended.

Kalmoran not only took in Selina's daughter, but he treated her like his own. The little girl wasn't spoiled, but she was becoming quite trained in defensive arts. Kalmoran himself seemed ready to help with any and all problems which arose, but he didn't want to train anyone on Earth on how to operate the weapons of his people. He had stated that such weapons in the hands of those who aren't ready for them could end in worse problems. Normally Bruce would agree with what he said, but there was a serious need for the weapons now. The sound of footsteps caught his attention and he turned around to see Diana walking with their daughter and son. The two children smiled at their father and ran toward him. Bruce stopped what he was doing and caught the two of them in a large hug for several moments.

"Aunt Donna is coming over," Athena said sweetly.

"Really? Then shouldn't you be upstairs getting ready for her visit?" Bruce asked.

"No, mama said we should come and bring you some supper before you forget to eat again," Athena said as she looked at Thomas who lifted a plate with two sandwiches on them.

Bruce took the plate and looked at the two sandwiches which were leaking peanut butter and jelly over the sides. Small purple hand stains covered the bread. He looked at Diana who smiled softly and took a seat. Knowing that arguing would only upset their children Bruce pushed the cowl back and took a seat. He picked up a sandwich and bit into it. Part of its contents fell out of the back of it and onto the other sandwich on the plate. Bruce noticed that they had used chunky peanut butter when he felt the bits and pieces of the chopped peanuts roughly rubbing against his tongue. He swallowed the bite and looked at the two children who waiting patiently for their father to finish and talk to them. He finished the sandwich and quickly turned his sights on the other one. Once both were gone he took a drink of water and touched the heads of his children.

"Thank you both. Now go back upstairs and get ready for your visit," Bruce said.

The two children smiled, hugged him, and turned toward the stairs. He watched them like a hawk guarding its young until the both of them safely left the cave. He then turned toward Diana.

"They needed to see that you still exist, so what did you discover?" she asked.

"The weapons are all in working order, and we have enough to make a start, but I doubt that it's enough to actually turn back an invasion," Bruce said.


	4. It's Magic

_**(AN: Don't own any characters except for those I've created. I also suggest that if you want the back story for some of the characters go and read Wraiths. Seriously go and read it. We'll wait.)**_

_**Brave New World **_

_**Chapter 4 'It's Magic'**_

(Watchtower - Clark's Quarters)

Clark stared at the monitor he had just looked at in disgust. He wasn't completely clean when it came down to it, but then again he didn't let the power completely seduce him. He had believed in his reasoning. He had believed that by controlling the world he could ensure that no one else would lose the woman or man they loved. He believed, truly believed, that by taking away some rights he would be insuring peace on the Earth, but he had been wrong. He could see that, and he had been trying to make admins for it. This other Clark... He had not only seen what he did was wrong, but he had also went to some extremes to get his powers back. Allowing himself to become aligned with a vampire, becoming the vampire's fledgling, and then raping and trying to kill both Lois and Selina had been far, far, far beyond the extreme. It was more than he could bear to witness, but it explained why there wasn't a Superman anymore. Everyone had always talked about how the only person who could really bring him down was Bruce. He had heard everyone and he wondered if it was true. On this Earth, in some way, Bruce had done what needed to be done.

He wanted to go and talk to Lois, but after seeing what he had just seen he wasn't sure if that would be a good idea. He didn't know if she still cared for her Clark or not. In all truth he was fairly certain that any bond she had with her Clark must have ended when he left her for dead. A sigh escaped his lips and he opened the door to his Quarters. There was simply no way he was going to sleep, and perhaps taking a walk through the Watchtower would help him come to grips with this new world. He stopped when he heard heavy breathing and then walked toward the source. Bruce had created the dorm rooms to be semi sound proof (his reasoning was that the enhanced hearing in his cowl needed to hear anything that may go on in the Watchtower), but with them being only semi sound proof it was like hearing everything out in the halls. He looked toward the wall he heard the sound and flashed his X-Ray vision for a moment.

Instantly he saw the bare back of a blond with short hair. The same blond was breathing heavy as was the man below her. Gently she lifted herself up off of him and Clark groaned as he realized what and who he had just seen. He had known Kara was old enough to do what she wanted, but it didn't really help him to see her in bed with someone else. He started to shake his head when he took another look at the person who she was in bed with. There lying beside his now 26 year old cousin was Roy Harper or 'Speedy'. He knew Roy, or at least the Roy from his universe, and the idea of someone who was so reckless being with Kara didn't sit too well. He could see that Roy had some kind of bionic arm which was graphed to his own arm around the elbow. There was also a small burn place on his forehead where he had been burned slightly. He started to leave when He noticed Kara's eyes widen and then narrow. Deciding it was time to make his presence less known he began to walk away. He managed to make it six steps before the door to the dorm room opened and a ticked off Supergirl, in a new revealing costume, was standing in front of him.

"What the hell do you think that you're doing?" Kara demanded.

"I was walking to clear my head. I heard heavy breathing and I thought that something might be wrong," Clark said honestly.

"Okay... I'm going to go with the idea that unlike the Superman from this universe you are still actually Clark Kent. Since you are that means that you you still have the entire Mid-West morals thing going for you. So let me lay this out for you 'cousin'. Your bullshit excuses won't work here. I stayed with Ma and Pa Kent too. Also, I'm not your kid, I'm not your responsibility, and most of all I'm not you. You have no idea what I went through when everything settled. I helped the Titans out but when the Justice Lords were finally stopped I was looked at different. Everyone wondered how long it would be until I snapped. I got rid of your insignia right off. I stopped being Supergirl and I became Powergirl. Slowly but surely I've gained everyone's trust once again, so don't screw up," Kara said before she walked back toward her room.

"I'm sorry," Clark said.

The way he said it caused Kara to stop. She turned and looked at him for a moment before she walked toward him. He watched as her eyes seemed to stare into his own for several seconds. Finally a small ghost of a smile traced her lips.

"It's been forever since I've actually seen him. I really didn't think that I would ever see him again," she said with a much more gentle tone of voice.

"Seen who?" Clark asked.

"My cousin, my real cousin Clark is who. Once everything that happened in Washington happened Clark disappeared. I don't mean that the other Superman stopped putting on the suit and glasses, but I mean the very thing that made him Clark, the sweet good natured farm boy he was simply disappeared. I don't know what caused it, but it was terrible to see it. It was horrible to watch everything that was Clark simply disappear from the Earth. It makes me happy to see him again," Kara said before she bit her lower lip.

Clark watched her internally wrestle with a decision before finally she moved and caught him in a hug. It was one that he returned happily. They stood in the hall and hugged for a few minutes until a fake cough caught their attention. Clark looked up to see Roy Harper wearing the mask and costume that he wore when he was Speedy.

"Superman it's well it's interesting to meet you. I would say it's nice to meet you, but since I basically fought against everything and I mean everything that you, or rather your double on this world, stood for I can't really say it's nice," Roy said.

"I understand, but I am not that Superman, and I am going to do everything I can to make up for everything he did," Clark said.

"You've got a lot to atone for then. That son of a bitch hurt more people that you can shake a stick at. Arkham Asylum is full of people, not just the crazies that use to run loose in Gotham, who had crossed Superman and got lobotomized for their trouble. It almost happened to me, and I know it came close to happening to Nightwing. If you're serious on trying to make up for it though I'll try to give you the chance, but just so that you know Bats isn't the only one who is prepared if you go rouge," Roy said before he turned around and walked back into the dorm room.

"Nice guy," Clark said.

"That's a fairly liberal view toward you. You're lucky you weren't here when Orion and I dated," Kara said.

"Wait... You dated Orion?" Clark asked confused.

"I'm still not sure how it started. I was still dressed as Supergirl at the time, and hell you had killed his wife. Both she and Orion were helping the resistance and you happened to find her taking medical supplies. When she didn't give you the location of the resistance headquarters you had J'onn dig into her mind until finally it caused a massive hemorrhage. She died in seconds after hours of invasive torture. Still she kept the secret of the resistance's headquarters safe. J'onn couldn't break through her mental barrier. Orion wanted to kill you after that. He wanted your head on a spike for what you had done. At first when we started dating I was wondering he if was dating me merely as way to get back at you. If he was in fact doing all we were doing together to sort of flip you the bird. When I found out that our relationship actually started because that was what he was trying to do we broke up. We're still friends, but at the moment he's on New Genesis. I don't think that Batman is going to bring him back for a while," Kara said before she stepped back and took a last look at him.

"You… You should really try to talk to Lois. I think that it would do you both a lot of good," Kara said before she stepped through her door and it closed.

Sure, but what am I going to say to her? he thought as he sighed.

He walked toward the cafeteria and stopped when he smelled the acidic smell of smoke. He knew the scent, but it was something new. It was a smell he had come into contact with when he first arrived here. He tried to pick out the memory, but it was far too hazy. With everything that had happened in the last few days he could understand why. Finally he stepped into the cafeteria where he saw a blond headed man dressed in a dingy old trench coat smoking a cigarette and drinking what looked like a mug of coffee.

"I was starting to wonder when we would get to talk," the blond headed man said as he stood up.

"Do I know you?" Clark asked.

"Yeah mate you do. I'm the bloke who was minding his own business when you suddenly appeared on the transporter pad and caused me to fall on me arse," he answered. "The name is Constantine, John Constantine and I already know who you are mate," John said.

"Yeah everyone knows that I'm Superman," Clark replied.

"Sure, but how many of them know that you're Clark Kent?" John asked.

Clark looked surprised at the blond headed man standing next to him.

"How… How did you know that?" Clark asked.

"Magic boyo, magic," John said as he looked Clark over for a moment. "I know that you're thinking about Lois right now. She's one 'ell of a woman,"

"More magic?" Clark asked.

"Not really. I just asked what I would be doing in your shoes. You should know that it has taken her a long time to get over what happened. She wants to see you, but at the same time she doesn't. She isn't sure about a lot of things," he said.

"You seem to know quite a bit about her," Clark said as he studied John.

"I should boyo. We've been together for nearly three years. We actually got together after she was turned," John said.

Clark felt his heart sink. Lois was with someone else. It only stood to reason that she would be. After all the Clark, no the Superman from this universe had done horrible, unspeakable, and terrible things to her. With that in mind it was no wonder that she had moved on. He saw the look on John's face and it wasn't the look of someone bragging just to be bragging. John had actually thought that Clark knew, or at least had guessed, on some level that he and Lois was together.

"You didn't know did you? Boyo I'm sorry. I had thought that you knew," John said as he neared him.

Clark nodded and started to turn around. He stopped when he heard the sound of heels clicking. He turned to see Lois looking at the two men and then walking toward him. He smelled the sweet peppermint of her breath. It was something that he had always liked. He loved the small smells she had naturally. It was something he never got to tell her. Not once did he ever get to tell her how much he loved her. She looked at him and looked into his eyes for a few moments. There was a sort of spark in her own.

"Sma… Smallville?" Lois asked gently.

"Lois… I'm… I'm sorry," He said as he backed up.

She shook her head and stepped toward him. Gently she placed her hands on his face. She moved closer to him and for a moment nothing happened at all. They simply breathed in the same air. They existed together in that moment and then Lois stepped back. She looked back toward John and then she looked at Clark.

"Lois…" Clark said before she shook her head.

He watched as small trails of blood moved from the corner of her eyes and down her cheeks. She wiped her face, but it didn't stop the tears from forming. It didn't stop them from shedding and it didn't stop the knowledge that either way things went someone was going to be hurt. Clark saw the situation she was in and began to walk away, but stopped when he felt a hand in his own.

"Is this what you want love?" John asked.

"It's him John. It's really him. Just like it was really him in Carmella's castle," Lois said in almost a hushed voice.

"Door's always opened love," John said as he walked past them.

The English wizard looked coldly at Superman before he walked out of the cafeteria.


	5. Decisions for a Stange New World

_**(AN: Don't own any characters except for those I've created. I also suggest that if you want the back story for some of the characters go and read Wraiths. Seriously go and read it. We'll wait.)**_

_**Brave New World **_

_**Chapter 5 'Decisions for a Strange New World'**_

The day found Clark sitting inside the recreation room with Lois talking about everything that had happened on her world. He heard the story from her perspective and then learned that once she became comfortable with her new powers she began to help the league. She had demonstrated some of her strength and speed, but she admitted that she was still weaker than he was. Everything seemed to be fine until he asked about Constantine.

"That's... That's something I don't really want to go into. John's been a good friend and more, but we both knew how I felt going into it. I was still in love with you, or rather my Clark, my Smallville. John seemed to know that, but it was never really an issue. I mean Clark had died long before Superman did, but when you appeared... You're actually Clark. It was hard for me to accept it, but I understand it," she said as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "So, what happened to the Lois in your world?"

"She was killed on assignment. She had been investigating Intergang and they placed a bomb in her car. I tried to get to her in time, but it was useless... I didn't arrive until after the car exploded. I watched... I watched her die and I had never told her how much I loved her. We never had a chance to be together. Instead I let her death change me. I decided that I couldn't live in a world where someone like her, like you could so easily be killed. I joined Luthor and together we took control. I knew it was wrong. I thought that perhaps Luthor really was interested in the good of the people, but I was wrong. It wasn't until I saw you, a different version of you, but you that I realized how far off I had went. After that I worked with the resistance to fix what I had done, or at least I worked with the resistance who didn't fear me. I... I couldn't stay there though. I couldn't stay because I was damaging the league by being there. I had damaged my reputation so badly that everyone believed it was only a matter of time until I reverted back to what I once was," Clark answered as he looked into her blood red eyes.

"You never married your Lois," Lois said as he turned and pulled a small picture she had tucked away in a hidden pocket.

She passed the picture to him. He saw himself, or at least this universes version of himself, holding Lois' hands. He was dressed in a black tux and Lois was in a beautiful white wedding gown. He took in every single aspect of the picture. It was odd seeing such a happy day, and a day he had wanted so badly to have. He looked back at her and handed her the picture.

"There's more, but I think that it may be too much for you," Lois said before she heard the door open and she turned to see Selina holding a two year old.

The vampiress and former cat burglar put the toddler down and smiled at him.

"Show mommy what you did earlier," Selina said to the boy.

Lois watched as the two year old slowly stood by himself and then he began to move toward her. Her eyes widened as he neared her and then promptly fell on his butt. She reached down and picked him giving him a kiss on his cheek.

"That was amazing Jonathan," she cooed to the toddler.

"Have you told him yet?" Selina asked as she pointed her head in the direction of Clark.

"I was actually not going to tell him. At least I wasn't for a while," Lois said as she studied the other vampiress.

"Oh that's no fun. What she hasn't told you is that the kid is actually yours, in a strange weird way. I suppose that he's actually the other Superman's but congratulations," Selina said before she smirked at Lois and started to walk out.

"Bitch," Lois said under her breath.

She looked toward Clark and he looked stunned.

(Kent Farm - SmallVille Kansas – Three weeks after talking to Lois)

Clark looked at the house where he had grown up. He knew that this wasn't the same house, and unlike in his world it appeared that both Ma and Pa Kent had long since passed on. He walked across the dust covered floor and shook his head. He remembered his ma keeping a clean house at all times. That was one thing she was adamant on. He walked toward the old closet on the lower floor and dug out a broom and quickly went through sweeping up the place. He stopped and thought about what had happened so far.

(Three weeks ago – Watch Tower Recreation Room)

Clark looked at the toddler and then at Lois. He tried to comprehend what had been said, but it wasn't completely clicking. From what she said they had a child together. He looked at the toddler and noticed how innocent the boy looked. He turned and shook his head. It was hard to even think about having been married to her. After all there was a thousand times he wanted to tell Lois that he loved her. He wanted to do it not as Superman, but who he really was. He wanted to tell her that he loved her as Clark Kent.

His double here had done that. Somehow his double had decided that having Lois in his life was worth more to him than keeping her at an arm's length. He turned and looked back at Lois. She seemed a little reserved at the moment as well, and that caused him to breathe out slowly.

"Are you happy?" Clark asked.

"Happy compared to what?" Lois asked trying to add a little humor.

"The guy you're with. John Constantine… I mean does he make you happy?" Clark asked.

"Sure, I mean John's a good guy, and he's done a lot to protect me and Jonathan. He's kept the council from finding Jonathan, and he's always seemed to do what's right, or at least he's tried to," Lois answered as she cocked an eyebrow.

"I take it that he's accepted Jonathan as his own?" Clark asked.

"What are you doing Clark?" Lois asked as she watched him. "Wait… Oh God… Clark I'm sorry. I know what you're thinking about, and I loved my Clark. I've never stopped loving my Clark, but my Clark is dead. He… He died a long, long time ago."

Clark nodded and stood. It wasn't the same as it was on his world, but it was similar. He had lost Lois on his Earth, and for the moment this Earth's Lois wasn't going to be in his reach. He wanted to be her friend, and by his own powers he wanted to make sure she was never harmed. He walked outside of the rec room and bumped into someone else he wanted to find. He watched as Bruce turned around and looked at him for a moment before acknowledging that he was there.

"Clark," Bruce said casually before he began to walk off.

"Bruce… I need… I think that I need some time away from this, from all of this. I think that it would be good to see my parents, or this other Superman's parents," Clark said.

It had been hard to read the Bruce from his world, and it was just as hard to read him now. The one thing that gave him a sense of foreboding was the way Bruce was standing. He had seen it before when he had to tell a child that their parents had been killed. Clark closed his eyes and prayed that he was wrong.

"Clark there is no easy way to hear this. Jonathan and Martha Kent have been dead for almost seven years. Jonathan had a heart attack and died when our Superman killed President Luthor. Martha died a couple of weeks later. She was involved in a car crash just outside of Smallville. It would have been around the time our Superman would have gone to visit her, but he wasn't there. He simply stopped being Clark Kent, and with the exception of Lois almost everything else attached to Clark drifted off," Bruce said.

"What about Lana? What happened to her?" Clark asked.

"She was released from Strikers once it became common knowledge of what happened to the Justice Lords. She had been helping the resistance, financing them, giving them shelter. One of their own turned on her to keep from being lobotomized," Bruce said.

"Where is she now?" Clark asked.

"She's not in the country anymore Clark. Trust me she doesn't want anything to do with any of us. The only thing she has asked is that we leave her alone," Bruce answered.

Clark closed his eyes and thought of everything he had done. On his world Lana was part of the resistance as well, but she had thought that she could reach him. He had turned her away, and later after Luthor had crashed his jet it came out that he had her killed. He didn't go into the details because he didn't want to go into them. It had been bad enough to lose Lois, but then to find out that his friend, one of his best friends had been killed it was almost too much. He turned to Bruce and watched the Dark Knight for a moment.

"It's not going to do us any good to have you here in this state. Take some time off and find yourself," Bruce said as he walked away.

(Kent Farm – Current time)

Clark looked at now clean floors. It had taken him three weeks to work up the courage to walk into the house. For the past two and a half weeks he had stayed in the Smallville Inn. The place was clean, but it wasn't home. There was a few people who recognized him, and a few came over to ask him what had happened to him. He came up with a story explaining how he couldn't stand being a reporter after what happened to Superman. Most of them agreed and then of course he was asked about why he didn't come back to town when his parents died. He began to say something when a blond headed man coughed to get everyone's attention.

(Two and a half weeks ago – South Side Drive In – Smallville)

"Look, no one really cares what Clark has or hasn't been doing," someone said as he neared where Clark was sitting.

The man took a seat next to Clark and smirked at him.

"It's been a long, long time Kent," he said.

"It has Pete, so what have you been up to?" Clark asked.

"Well besides leaving office before I could get fried not much I'm afraid," Pete said.

He noticed Clark's odd stare and then chuckled a little.

"Yeah, almost no one remembers that I was president for about three days after Luthor bit the big one. It wasn't the best job in the world and since it took precious little for the League to walk in and fry Luthor I decided that I didn't want the job," Pete said with a slight chuckle.

"Why didn't you want to stay in office?" Clark asked.

"Besides the obvious reason of not wanting to do anything to piss off the Justice Lords… I knew at that point a president would be meaningless. The president would become nothing more than a glorified secretary. I declined the job, left, and came back to Smallville. Originally I figured that you would do the same, but then I figured that either Lord Superman got to you, or you went underground. I figured that you went under and tried to help out," Pete said as he stretched. "You remember Lana right?"

Clark nodded and watched as Pete lifted a glass with an amber liquid inside of it.

"We were married for a short while. She was actually the first lady for about three days along with me, but she completely agreed about leaving it. When we came back to Smallville she stayed with her fashion career. She was good too, but she was helping out some people who were sneaking free thinkers out of prison. One of those people turned on her and the Lords locked her up. She filed for divorce from inside. I guess that she didn't want me to be associated with her," Pete said as he drank from his glass.

"I'm sorry to hear about that," Clark said as he remembered what Bruce had said.

"Yeah, everyone was damned sorry to hear about it, but it's ancient history. So, I'm guessing that you're going to be staying out at your family farm right?" Pete asked.

"I've been thinking about it. I think that's want my Mom and Dad would have wanted," Clark answered.

"Yeah, I think they would want you to. Look besides being a former president I'm also a hellva contractor. I'm sure that place is going to need some work, so don't be a stranger. I promise that I'll make a good deal on any work that needs to be done," Pete said before he got up.

(Kent Farm – Present)

Clark had moved from the floors to the linen closet. It had taken very little time to clear it out and then when he began to use the water he realized that something wasn't working. It didn't take long for him to find a busted pipe under the house. He climbed under and repaired the pipe and decided to check the entire plumbing system. He was surprised how much of it was fine, but unfortunately the well pump seemed to be sluggish. He worked with it for a while until he realized that it had been years since it had been used. He decided to leave it alone and walked back into the house. He flipped on a light switch and watched as the bulb came to life and then flickered and died.

(Gotham City – Wayne Manor – Entertainment room)

Tim looked at his wife and smiled. Phoebe, the former Wonder Girl, was holding their youngest child, who was just barely two weeks old, and had their oldest child, now bordering on two, attempting to get her attention. He heard the sound of approaching footsteps and turned to see Bruce walking in.

"We have some issues coming up," Tim said as he watched his adopted father sit down.

"There's always something," Bruce replied.

"Last night there was an attack on the council. It wasn't the dark realm, but it was something else. Whatever it was seemed to be powerful enough that it killed three elder vampires. These same vampires claimed to be as powerful as Superman back in the day," Tim stated.

"Our contact informed me about this already Tim, so what is really going on?" Bruce asked.

"I won't let Phoebe stay alone anymore. Whatever is attacking now may be part of the Kryptonians, or it may be from the dark realm, or it could be something else, but whatever it is I refuse to sit by and do nothing. I wanted to know if Phoebe and our children could stay here," Tim asked.

"The entire East wing is at your disposal. Your room is still sat up for your stay, so you are more than welcomed to use it," Bruce said before he stood and walked out.

He had known something was going on. The attack on the vampire council was a new step, but it was an expected one. Like Selina and Tim he believed that it was possible the Kryptonians were aiding the Dark Realm. A joint attack by two enemies made sense. He also knew that Darkseid was still out of this for the moment. The tyrant would let the Kryptonians do his dirty work for him and then he would move in. He stopped walking and realized that he had entered the library. He walked toward the writing desk and sat down. Slowly his mind began to think over the facts.

The council being attacked was expected. The dark realm hates the vampires with a passion, but for this direct of an attack and with that much power it couldn't have been the dark realm itself. Any kind of light weakens them greatly, and the council has taken to keeping their areas well lit. It only leaves the possibility of a joint effort between the Kryptonians and the Dark Realm as an actuality and not a possibility. Bruce thought.


	6. Destroyer

_**(AN: Don't own any characters except for those I've created. I also suggest that if you want the back story for some of the characters go and read Wraiths. Seriously go and read it. We'll wait.)**_

_**Brave New World **_

_**Chapter 6 'Destroyer'**_

(Alternate World - Three weeks after Superman's willing Banishment - Wayne Manor - Master bedroom)

Bruce sat on the side of the bed. Less than a month ago he had sent Clark to a world where their Clark, no their Kal-El had been more of a threat than Clark ever was here. He had to admit that part of the reason for sending him was vengeance. Although Overman hadn't done nearly the horrible things Lord Superman had there was still several terrible things which did happen. One of them had been the death of Selina. He had blamed himself. Things had been different on this world and he knew the reasons for it. The resistance had caused him to open up more to Selina, and because of that the two of them had finally become something they had meant to become for so long. She was still a trill seeker, but she didn't do it by robberies, and then Haley had came out of their union. His daughter looked exactly like Selina. There was no doubt at all, and she had many of her mother's mannerisms, which naturally lead to massive headaches.

He tried to protect her from his world. He wanted to protect her from the life he lead and do for her what he couldn't do for Selina. The thought of his wife who had been dead for nearly eleven years brought him back to the fateful night.

(Metropolis - Eleven years ago - Luthor Towers)

"Selina this is madness," Bruce said over the communication devices he had created for the resistance.

"Bruce, there is no one else with the skills that I have, except for perhaps yourself my love. Besides if I can get access to Luthor's files we both know the war will be over tomorrow. You and I both know that Luthor keeps records of everything he does. We both know that he more then likely has the record of what really happened to Lois," she said.

"If you're caught they won't waste time with a reeducation camp. They will execute you. It's not worth the risk," Bruce said.

"My love... for Haley to grow up in a world where she can go outside, play, and not have to worry about Overman coming for us or her... It's well worth the risk," she said.

Bruce watched the events unfold through her eyes. Like his own armor and cowl her cat suit had long since been updated. Her goggles relayed what she saw back to him and at the same time allowed her access to floor plans, and to see hidden laser grids. He watched as she moved past the guards not once alerting them. She moved gracefully all of the way to the top floor where she finally made it to Lex's office. Once inside she moved toward the computer and took a small wire which she hooked from her goggles straight to the computer.

"Batman go ahead and begin the data transfer," she said.

He knew that she used his alternate identity because someone had to be nearby. If they heard her then they would only know that she was working with Batman and not his secret identity. Moments later the connection stopped, but Bruce could still see.

"Well, well, well if it isn't a kitty. You know my mother never let me keep pets. She said that they did nothing but cause trouble. Looks like she was right," Mercy said as she fired the bullet which caused the screen to flicker and die.

"SELINA!" Bruce yelled.

(The Batcave - Present)

In the end the information Selina did obtain helped the cause, but it wasn't enough to prove that Luthor was connected with Lois' death. Instead the information gave Bruce the layouts of every reeducation camp. It was then he discovered where Hawkgirl was, and soon he along with John Stewart, the resident Green Lantern, broke in and rescued her. Naturally she was all for paying back Luthor and then some. Still it left Bruce to raise Haley alone. Alfred was a great help and it was clear that Haley was an absolute joy for Alfred.

"Dad... You know it doesn't do any good to sit moping around in this dusty old bedroom," Haley said as she walked in.

"What happened to school?" he asked.

"Oh, you mean Saint Bart's? Spring Break. Oh, Grampa Alfred said that you have a visitor. I think that it's that Diana woman. She seems nice," Haley said.

"Tell Alfred I'll be down in a minute," Bruce said.

Bruce stood and looked at the room itself. Those close to him knew how bad he was at dealing with grief. He didn't deal with it other than trying to prevent it from happening again. His work on forming the league was the attempt to prevent another meta from taking over the world and killing anyone's loved ones. He remembered how Selina said he was sentimental. He had never thought that he was. Granted there was a few things left in the manor left over from his parents, but he had never really considered himself to be sentimental. It wasn't until after his death that began to see what Selina had seen.

The drapes she had chosen for the room was still up, and in the closet was her clothes. He had them washed, dried, and hung up every three months. He knew that Alfred indulged him because like Bruce Alfred missed Haley's mother. Selina had brought life into the manor, and she had proven herself to be as devoted to the mission as he was.

He searched the wardrobe and found a form fitting shirt and pair of jeans. He dressed and walked out of the room toward the hall. He looked to see Diana standing in a pair of white slacks and red top. She walked toward him and a small smile crossed her face.

"Diana," Bruce said.

"Bruce, I wanted to talk to you about the charity event being held by Wayne Enterprises and the Themyscian Embassy," she said.

"I've already sent the information over to the embassy, and I've included invitations to the elite of Gotham along with connections we have to industry leaders around the world. There should be more than enough people in attendance to ensure the relief aid toward the orphans of the resistance will have all of the help they need," he said.

"Wow, dad she's beautiful," Haley said as she came into the room.

A light smile crossed Diana's face.

"Thank you," Diana said.

"Just being honest. Hey dad, do you mind if I invite Rex and Sheira over?" she asked.

"It's fine, but make sure you stay on the grounds," Bruce said.

"Okay…" she said.

She turned around and walked out of the room. Bruce turned and looked at Diana again.

"There's something else isn't there?" he asked.

Diana nodded and followed Bruce over toward a set of chairs. She took a seat after he had and looked at him.

"Bruce, I understand the reasons we allowed Kal to leave, but was it the best option? What if one of his enemies decide to attack?" she asked.

"With the exception of Darkseid I don't think we have too much to worry about. Luthor saw fit to ensure that all of Overman's rogue gallery was either killed or lobotomized. Besides, I've instructed Kara to monitor all of the activity centered around the energy signatures that Boomtubes put off. If Darkseid decides to attack we'll know, and I've prepared a weapon for him," Bruce said.

Diana looked at him and it felt like she was reaching inside of him and discovering parts of himself he wanted to keep secret and hidden from the world. She gently reached out and touched his shoulder.

"I forget how much everyone has lost. I can see the loss in your eyes Bruce. Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

He shook his head and stood up.

"It happened a long time ago, and there's really nothing to talk about," he said.

She stood and looked at him. It was there inside of him. She could see the pain, but he kept it hidden. He wanted to protect his pain, and she respected him for it. Like her people he wasn't allow himself to show weakness or remorse. Still she wanted him to know that if he so chose he could speak to her.

"Remember that we're friends, and I'm willing to lend you a friendly ear when you need one," she said.


End file.
